Tonle Bassac forced eviction (Photo: Licadho)
Sihanoukville violent eviction (Photo: Licadho)
Beating of Khmer Krom monks during peaceful demonstration (Photo: Licadho)
Japan: Mekong Meeting Should Not Ignore Rights AbusesSihanoukville violent eviction (Photo: Licadho)
Beating of Khmer Krom monks during peaceful demonstration (Photo: Licadho)
15 Jan 2008
Source: Human Rights Watch
(Tokyo, January 15, 2008) - The Japanese government should publicly urge the foreign ministers of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam attending the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo on January 16 to address human rights concerns in these Southeast Asian countries, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura. "We're disappointed that human rights issues aren't even on the agenda of the Japan-Mekong Foreign Ministers' meeting," said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "As a major donor, Japan shouldn't remain silent on chronic abuses of the right to freedom of expression, rampant impunity, and a host of other human rights violations in the Mekong countries."
Human Rights Watch urged Japan, a major investor and significant trading partner to the Mekong countries, to wield its leverage to improve human rights in the region by publicly discussing these issues.
Human Rights Watch also encouraged Japan to rethink its methods and evaluate the impact of its foreign aid to ensure that they are not misused by abusive authorities. For example, significant amounts of Japanese aid were distributed in Burma through organizations created and controlled by the Burmese military government, such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA). In the fiscal year 2006, Japan gave a total of 26 million yen (US$240,000) in grants to the USDA despite that organization's repeated harassment and attacks on opposition political figures, including Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy supporters.
"Japan has an opportunity at the Mekong foreign ministers meeting to show that it really has made human rights a pillar of its foreign policy," said Richardson. "The Japanese government needs to back this up by ending its silence on human rights abuses in Burma and other Mekong countries."
Human Rights Watch urged Japan, a major investor and significant trading partner to the Mekong countries, to wield its leverage to improve human rights in the region by publicly discussing these issues.
Human Rights Watch also encouraged Japan to rethink its methods and evaluate the impact of its foreign aid to ensure that they are not misused by abusive authorities. For example, significant amounts of Japanese aid were distributed in Burma through organizations created and controlled by the Burmese military government, such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA). In the fiscal year 2006, Japan gave a total of 26 million yen (US$240,000) in grants to the USDA despite that organization's repeated harassment and attacks on opposition political figures, including Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy supporters.
"Japan has an opportunity at the Mekong foreign ministers meeting to show that it really has made human rights a pillar of its foreign policy," said Richardson. "The Japanese government needs to back this up by ending its silence on human rights abuses in Burma and other Mekong countries."
4 comments:
Why don't khmer people kill these police and soldiers who come to burn down their houses? Why let them do this cruel acts against innocent people? Kill them and their family. Bomb them or their houses to teach them a lesson. It's time for people revolution against CPP.
AH HUN SEN is a fucken thief within his own country! It has become a serious problem for Cambodian people when AH HUN SEN invited other thieves to loot his own country!
Nobody can say anything to AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave anymore because he is highly educated monkey with PhD from Hanoi!
Did You heard RFA last night: a CPP law maker was beaten unconscious by a young man who has been mentally ill because of the land grab by powerful and corrupt officials. He said he "hate hogh ranking officials".
Those powerful and rich (nouveau riche)are not respected but hated to death!
How Shameless this Royal Government of Cambodia!!!
Grap and Sold, thieves and sold.
May the this Royal Government die to all very very soon!
May the earth absorb them all soon!
May the lightning stikes them all soon!
May God destroy this Royal Government of Cambodia from the face of the earth!
May God bless the victimes!
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